Guy Béart (born July 16, 1930) is a French singer and songwriter.
Born G… Read Full Bio ↴Guy Béart (born July 16, 1930) is a French singer and songwriter.
Born Guy Béhar in Cairo, Egypt, his father's work as an accountant and business consultant saw the family move frequently, leading to a childhood spent in France, Greece, and Mexico, in addition to Egypt. Between the ages of 10 and 17 his family settled in Lebanon where his interest in music developed to the point that he left for Paris to study at the "École nationale de musique". In addition to music, he also obtained a degree in engineering.

When his father died in 1952, the young Guy Béhar chose to pursue a career in engineering in order to help support his family, studying at the prestigious École nationale des ponts et chausées. Simultaneously, however, he enrolled in Paris's École nationale de musique, studying violin and mandolin, and in his spare time wrote songs and worked the Paris cabaret circuit, where he played guitar and sang under the stage name "Guy Béart". When a version of one of his songs by a popular performer of the day became a huge success, demand for his writing talents increased and he composed for Juliette Gréco and others. Taken under the wing of renowned music producer Jacques Canetti and fellow musician Boris Vian, he released an album of his own, which won the prestigious Grand Prix de l'Académie du Disque français in 1958.

Normally shy, Béart initially suffered from stage fright and had a very difficult time during his concert debut at the Paris Olympia. His biggest hit came when he wrote the soundtrack of the 1960 motion picture, L'Eau vive. The title song of the film is considered a classic of what is known as French chanson. Despite his leap to fame, Béart's singing career was soon swamped by the rising tide of American rock and roll. However, reinventing himself as a host of a television show featuring musical stars from a variety of genres, he remained in the public eye and eventually made a recording comeback.

In 1965 he and his wife, Geneviève Galea, had a daughter, Emmanuelle, who would grow up to be an actress.

After Béart's television show ended in 1970, his popularity waned but he continued to record new music that was readily purchased by a loyal following. By the early 1980s he was almost completely out of the spotlight and, although only in his early fifties, he suffered from a number of serious health problems. In 1987, he published a book about his illness entitled L'Espérance folle (Crazy Hope) that, combined with his daughter’s success in the blockbuster film Manon des Sources, brought a resurgence of popularity. More than 25 years after his first appearance at the Paris Olympia, he returned for a series of highly successful performances.

In 1994 Béart was awarded the Grand Prix de l'Académie française in recognition of his achievements over his long career. He continued to perform at a variety of venues around the country and in 1999 did a five-week run at Bobino in Montparnasse that was so popular it allowed for a successful re-release of his double live album recorded at the Olympia.

Now, well into his seventies, he only makes a rare appearance on stage but many of his songs, of which Béart wrote more than 300 himself, are still being purchased by his fans.

A La Claire Fontaine
Guy Béart Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A la claire fontaine,
M'en allant promener
J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle
Que je m'y suis baigné

Il y a longtemps que je t'aime
Jamais je ne t'oublierai

Sous les feuilles d'un chêne,
Je me suis fait sécher
Sur la plus haute branche,
Un rossignol chantait

Chante rossignol, chante,
Toi qui as le cœur gai
Tu as le cœur à rire,
Moi je l'ai à pleurer

J'ai perdu mon amie,
Sans l'avoir mérité
Pour un bouquet de roses,
Que je lui refusais

Je voudrais que la rose,
Fût encore au rosier

Et que ma douce amie
Fût encore à m'aimer

Overall Meaning

The first stanza of Guy Béart's "À la claire fontaine" describes a walk by a clear fountain, where the singer takes a dip in the beautiful water. They seem to be enjoying the peacefulness of the place. The second stanza carries a bittersweet tone, with the singer expressing their undying love for someone they've known for a long time. They then describe sitting under a tree and drying off, while a nightingale sings from the highest branch. The third stanza is where the melancholic tone becomes more evident. The singer addresses the nightingale and describes how it has a heart full of joy while they have one full of tears. This is likely a way of expressing their mourning for a lost love. The final stanza reveals the cause of that mourning - the singer lost their lover over a bouquet of roses that they refused to give. They express the wish for the rose to still be on the bush and for their love to still be with them.

Line by Line Meaning

A la claire fontaine,
While walking along a clear fountain,

M'en allant promener
I found the water so beautiful

J'ai trouvé l'eau si belle
That I decided to take a swim in it

Que je m'y suis baigné

Il y a longtemps que je t'aime
It's been a long time that I have loved you

Jamais je ne t'oublierai
And I will never forget you

Sous les feuilles d'un chêne,
Under the leaves of an oak tree,

Je me suis fait sécher
I dried myself

Sur la plus haute branche,
On the highest branch,

Un rossignol chantait
A nightingale was singing

Chante rossignol, chante,
Sing, nightingale, sing,